Romanian Orphan Studies: Effects of Institutionalisation
The theory of maternal deprivation predicted that long-term negative effects result from early
deprivation. This can be studied in the context of institutional care. Research on emotional
deprivation in the 1940s and 1950s showed the harm it caused. This meant that institutional care
for young children largely disappeared, and therefore research opportunities ceased to exist.
Romanian Orphan Studies
Research on maternal deprivation has turned to orphan studies as a means of studying the effects
of deprivation on emotional and intellectual development. A tragic opportunity to look at the
effects of institutional care and the consequent institutionalisation arose in Romania in the
1990s. Former President Nicolai Ceausescu restricted abortion and contraception and required
Romanian women to have five children. Many Romanian parents could not afford to keep their
children, and the children ended up in huge orphanages in very poor conditions. After the 1989
Romanian revolution, many of the children were adopted, some by British parents.
Institutionalisation
The effect of institutional care. The term can be applied widely to the effects of an institution, but
our concern focuses specifically on how time spent in an institution such as an orphanage can
affect the development of children. The possible effects include social, mental and physical
underdevelopment. Some of these effects may be irreversible.
Rutter’s English and Romanian Adoptees Study (ERA)
-> investigates age of adoption
Procedure
Rutter and colleagues (2011) have followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many
years (longitudinal, natural experiment) as part of the English and Romanian adoptee
(ERA) study. The orphans had been adopted by families in the UK. The aim of the ERA has
been to investigate the extent to which good care could make up poor early experiences
in institutions. Physical, cognitive and emotional development has been assessed at
ages 4, 6, 11, 15 and 22-25 years. A group of 52 children from the UK adopted around the
same time have served as a control group.
Findings
When the children first arrived in the UK, half the adoptees showed signs of delayed
intellectual development, and the majority were severely undernourished. At age 11 the
adopted children showed differential rates of recovery that were related to their age of
adoption. The mean IQ of those children adopted before the age of 6 months was 102,
compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 years, and 77 for those
adopted after 2 years. These differences remained at age 16 (Beckett et al. 2010). ADHD
, was more common in 15 and 22-25-year-old samples (Kennedy et al. 2016).
In terms of attachment, there appeared to be a difference in outcome related to whether
adoption took place before or after 6 months. Those children adopted after they were 6
months showed signs of a particular attachment style called disinhibited attachment.
Symptoms include attention-seeking, clinginess and social behaviour directed
indiscriminately towards all adults, both familiar and unfamiliar.
In contrast, those children adopted before the age of 6 months rarely displayed
disinhibited attachment.
Summarised findings of Rutter’s ERA study:
Adopted before 6 months Adopted after 6 months
- Higher IQ (102) - fewer - Lower IQ (86, 77) -
cognitive/intellectual problems cognitive/intellectual problems
- No disinhibited attachment - Disinhibited attachment behaviour
behaviour
Zeanah’s Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEI)
Procedure
Zeanah et al. (2005) conducted the Bucharest early intervention (BEI) project, assessing
attachment in 95 Romanian children aged 12-31 months who had spent most of their
lives in institutional care (90% on average). They were compared to a control group of 50
children who had never lived in an institution. Their attachment type was measured
using the Strange Situation. In addition, carers were asked about unusual social
behaviour including clingy, attention-seeking behaviour directed inappropriately at all
adults (a measure of disinhibited attachment).
Findings
The researchers found that 74% of the control group were classed as securely attached
in the Strange Situation. However, only 19% of the Institutional group were securely
attached. In contrast, the description of disinhibited attachment applied to 44% of
institutionalised children as opposed to less than 20% of the controls.
Summarised findings of Zeanah’s BEI project:
Control group Institutionalised group
- Mostly securely attached (74%) - Few securely attached (19%)
The theory of maternal deprivation predicted that long-term negative effects result from early
deprivation. This can be studied in the context of institutional care. Research on emotional
deprivation in the 1940s and 1950s showed the harm it caused. This meant that institutional care
for young children largely disappeared, and therefore research opportunities ceased to exist.
Romanian Orphan Studies
Research on maternal deprivation has turned to orphan studies as a means of studying the effects
of deprivation on emotional and intellectual development. A tragic opportunity to look at the
effects of institutional care and the consequent institutionalisation arose in Romania in the
1990s. Former President Nicolai Ceausescu restricted abortion and contraception and required
Romanian women to have five children. Many Romanian parents could not afford to keep their
children, and the children ended up in huge orphanages in very poor conditions. After the 1989
Romanian revolution, many of the children were adopted, some by British parents.
Institutionalisation
The effect of institutional care. The term can be applied widely to the effects of an institution, but
our concern focuses specifically on how time spent in an institution such as an orphanage can
affect the development of children. The possible effects include social, mental and physical
underdevelopment. Some of these effects may be irreversible.
Rutter’s English and Romanian Adoptees Study (ERA)
-> investigates age of adoption
Procedure
Rutter and colleagues (2011) have followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many
years (longitudinal, natural experiment) as part of the English and Romanian adoptee
(ERA) study. The orphans had been adopted by families in the UK. The aim of the ERA has
been to investigate the extent to which good care could make up poor early experiences
in institutions. Physical, cognitive and emotional development has been assessed at
ages 4, 6, 11, 15 and 22-25 years. A group of 52 children from the UK adopted around the
same time have served as a control group.
Findings
When the children first arrived in the UK, half the adoptees showed signs of delayed
intellectual development, and the majority were severely undernourished. At age 11 the
adopted children showed differential rates of recovery that were related to their age of
adoption. The mean IQ of those children adopted before the age of 6 months was 102,
compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 years, and 77 for those
adopted after 2 years. These differences remained at age 16 (Beckett et al. 2010). ADHD
, was more common in 15 and 22-25-year-old samples (Kennedy et al. 2016).
In terms of attachment, there appeared to be a difference in outcome related to whether
adoption took place before or after 6 months. Those children adopted after they were 6
months showed signs of a particular attachment style called disinhibited attachment.
Symptoms include attention-seeking, clinginess and social behaviour directed
indiscriminately towards all adults, both familiar and unfamiliar.
In contrast, those children adopted before the age of 6 months rarely displayed
disinhibited attachment.
Summarised findings of Rutter’s ERA study:
Adopted before 6 months Adopted after 6 months
- Higher IQ (102) - fewer - Lower IQ (86, 77) -
cognitive/intellectual problems cognitive/intellectual problems
- No disinhibited attachment - Disinhibited attachment behaviour
behaviour
Zeanah’s Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEI)
Procedure
Zeanah et al. (2005) conducted the Bucharest early intervention (BEI) project, assessing
attachment in 95 Romanian children aged 12-31 months who had spent most of their
lives in institutional care (90% on average). They were compared to a control group of 50
children who had never lived in an institution. Their attachment type was measured
using the Strange Situation. In addition, carers were asked about unusual social
behaviour including clingy, attention-seeking behaviour directed inappropriately at all
adults (a measure of disinhibited attachment).
Findings
The researchers found that 74% of the control group were classed as securely attached
in the Strange Situation. However, only 19% of the Institutional group were securely
attached. In contrast, the description of disinhibited attachment applied to 44% of
institutionalised children as opposed to less than 20% of the controls.
Summarised findings of Zeanah’s BEI project:
Control group Institutionalised group
- Mostly securely attached (74%) - Few securely attached (19%)
